Humpbacks South and Humpbacks North

Guests on Tuesday’s Wake up with the Whales Cruise from Anaeho’omalu Bay got a good look at 3 different Humpbacks who surfaced about 100 yards from us several times. They seemed to be on 12 – 15 minute dives, but each time they’d stay on the surface, spouting and seemingly catching their breaths for about a minute or so before diving again. In between sightings of these close-by whales, we also saw a few spouts from other Humpbacks cruising past in the distance.

We ran our 10:00 Whale Watch on Alala from Kawaihae, so we were able to see different whales in a different part of the ocean. Over the course of this cruise we saw abut 10 different Humpbacks including two who breached several miles away (well— we didn’t really see those two whales, but we did see the splashes). At one point a pod of two popped up fairly close to us — which was kind of a surprise (but a fun kind of surprise). We also know that a different Humpback swam right under us (saw him at the surface on opposite sides of us in a very short period of time) but he was too deep for us to get a good look at him while he crossed underneath.

Mahalo,

Claire

Captain Claire’s Humpback Fact of the Day: We used to think that the whales that arrived on the coast of the Big Island spent their Hawaii-time here with us. Research and close observation of individuals has proven us wrong. While the Humpbacks seem to prefer to spend most of their time on the lee sides of islands and in water less than 600 feet deep, they will travel between the islands (not in any particular direction that we’re aware of)….females who have calves travel less frequently though.